Everybody loves to look good and enjoy the visuals of their body when they lose weight, burn fat, and tighten up their skin. Indeed, a healthy body is definitely a sign of good health. Ironically, some of the best things that occur to your body when pursuing a healthy active lifestyle cannot be seen. These intangibles are probably even more beneficial in the long run than just fitting into your favorite bathing suit or showing off your lean physique and muscles at the pool or the beach. Here are 5 major benefits of exercise that have nothing to do with what you look like. (View Slideshow to find out)

While wanting to look better is usually a prime motivation for most people who endeavor to live a more active and healthier lifestyle, the truth is that the overall health benefits are much more important and beneficial to overall quality of life. Health and fitness is a necessary preventative tool of many diseases. Rather than having to go on medication for a variety of popular and widespread health problems today, people who exercise regularly and make good dietary choices ward off disease and having to take medication for those diseases. Since many medications contain adverse side effects that can be dangerous as well, this is a pretty significant benefit.

So while most people just want to show off their bodies and looks, society has to be aware also of the infinite health benefits a healthy lifestyle contains. If you watched television today, you either get two versions of health in advertising: one, where it's all about what you look like, and another where they are trying to sell a pharmaceutical. In between these two extremes, which you won't see or oft hear about as much are the actual benefits of exercise that have nothing to do with looks and that prevent people from having to go on medication.

While the media, corporations, and pharmaceutical companies will try to sell you on looks or medication, the real thing they should probably sell the most is the improved overall quality of life and ample health benefits that living a healthy and active lifestyle have, often times things you wouldn't think of. (View the Slideshow to find out what some of them are.)

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Greg Mickles is a personal trainer, fitness expert, fitness model and winning natural bodybuilder. He is author of “Natural Fitness for the 21st Century” and “11 Commandments of Washboard Abs.” Greg's been a featured fitness model in three of Hall of Famer Cathe Friedrich exercise videos: “STS: Shock Training System," “STS Total Body” and “Xtrain" and QVC. Greg has served as a leading executive manager or consultant for many of the top fitness companies in the country and is N.A.S.M. certified.